Factory Reset Protection (FRP) myth -- Lesson for everyone! - Samsung Galaxy S7 Guides, News, & Discussion

I did a factory reset before submitting my device to Samsung repair. But before doing it, to not have any trace of my online/offline data after reset I had to take care of ‘Factory Reset Protection’ (FRP) so that it won't ask to enter my email after reset. I removed the device security locks including fingerprints and also any Google account associated as said by 99% articles over internet (at least in my 30 mins of read thru of Google searches specifically for Samsung & also generally for android). Also had checked necessary options for all of my datas to be synced to Google. But in order to reinforce my knowledge about FRP and how it’s getting triggered I went thru some YouTube videos and articles specifically for Samsung & also generally for android prior to reset. And finally everything was good to go and ready for repair
Got my device after repair and did a reset again for Google to ask to restore my apps from previous backup of the same device. But it didn’t as you can see from the pic attached.
So what could be the reason you ask. When I removed the Google account (primary) for reset process, all the ‘App datas’ (thankfully not my contacts and other stuffs) were cleared from Google servers. Simply to say, the ‘Remove account’ option will tell Google that this device is no longer associated with this account and to delete all Android related datas associated and there is no way you can get this back.
So I don’t know whom to blame. The hundred’s of article over Internet about FRP (example: http://www.androidcentral.com/factory-reset-protection-what-you-need-know )
OR Samsung for not giving any information anywhere in internet or even in the Software (as warnings) [Their only website related to FRP is still down here in my country at least]. OR Google? For not giving any clear information regarding this action.
Anyway there is no use in crying over spilt milk. All I have to do now is manually install all my 83 apps one by one that were previously installed and who knows whether their respective datas can still be synced. There were even circumstances which most of us should have gone thru when the Google not showing yesterday app restore list but 1 week ago in the setup process.
Things like this can very well frustrate anyone if they are heaving depending on cloud. This is just one of the many little things(software, H/W dependent) in Android that may frustrate a user very much. NO WONDER WHY PEOPLE MOVE TO iOS. Because over customizability and all there are some stuffs that matters the most and iOS still excels in that. We geeks know that but it’s the freedom and exploration that makes us forget all those important stuffs.
For those of you gonna say “YOU SHOULD HAVE USED SMART SWITCH, ADB BACKUP, TITANIUM BACKUP OR SOMETHING ELSE” -- when something is meant to work it should work. I even had bad experiences with Titanium backup, could be device specific but whatever it is.
Welcoming all POSITIVE and NEGATIVE comments. LOL.
Running stock TouchWiz with the April patch. Tried a reset without removing Google account and it didn't ask for the mail ID to be entered for verification during setup process. So basically something have changed recently on how FRP works and whatever I've wriiten is what you have to take care of. regarding backup and all. Please share this thread with you friends. .
Will appreciate a thanks.

Thanks for sharing. Seems like a good warning for all of us.
Sent from my SM-G930V using XDA Premium HD app

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. My own frustrations have been building with Android as well. It is ridiculous how much we have to eff around with hidden settings and tweaks to get decent battery life. I am keeping an eye on the iPhone 7 to be honest.
Though apple ecosystem has its own share of frustrations.

Thanks for the info. I too had experience of some backup apps not working as they intended to be. Even Titanium Backup had given me tension when new android version comes or sometimes for no reason. But my go to solution(even without root I believe) is always have been Tasker+AutoInput combo. When nothing works out I just program them both to install apps from PlayStore based on the app list I manually backed up with another app. That's it. Don't know whether that will cause any bad effect on device hardware. Does it?

xxaarraa said:
Sorry to hear of your difficulties. My own frustrations have been building with Android as well. It is ridiculous how much we have to eff around with hidden settings and tweaks to get decent battery life. I am keeping an eye on the iPhone 7 to be honest.
Though apple ecosystem has its own share of frustrations.
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Click to collapse
I agree as i mentioned in OP. Sad to see Snapdragon 820 users struggle with battery life by removing un-wanted system packages. This even exists to an extent in my unlocked DUOS version. Google gotta have more control over Android. Hope with Android N this is not just gonna be with updates but also else where. Come on Google it's 2016.

OH gosh. This is an important piece of information. Somebody should link to this info by posting an article in xda-developer.com . Is there any way to reuquest?
Thanks BTW for a warning

Sheryl John said:
.Simply to say, the ‘Remove account’ option will tell Google that this device is no longer associated with this account and to delete all Android related datas associated and there is no way you can get this back
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Click to collapse
1) Disable Internet connectivity (wifi, data)
2) Remove accounts, then
3) Factory reset
Google doesn't know that about the removal so app data is still in your account, yet the device no longer has any link to the Google account so it's safe against FRP.
That said, with multi devices (and household members sharing 1 common account as the base account), I don't back app data to Google at all. TiBu has its quirks but I've yet to lose anything with it. On the contrary, I probably have too much back up (who needs Gingerbread apps back ups??? yeah, I still have them LOL).

lost_ said:
1) Disable Internet connectivity (wifi, data)
2) Remove accounts, then
3) Factory reset
Google doesn't know that about the removal so app data is still in your account, yet the device no longer has any link to the Google account so it's safe against FRP.
That said, with multi devices (and household members sharing 1 common account as the base account), I don't back app data to Google at all. TiBu has its quirks but I've yet to lose anything with it. On the contrary, I probably have too much back up (who needs Gingerbread apps back ups??? yeah, I still have them LOL).
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That's the only way it seems for hard reset. But as I mentioned in my OP there is no need of removing the Google account for soft reset. FRP won't be triggered.

Related

Largest Market Apps?

Hi,
I'm trying to see if "My Downloads" in the Market get reset when cache is cleared. I will try and do this by downloading some large apps.
Can anybody list some of the largest apps? It's pretty hopeless looking at them one by one!
Cheers
Steel and bonsai blast are farely large according to my deteriorating memory
Brain games and bonzai blast
My downloads
I don't think it will be resetted. One week ago I resettd my G1 to factory settings. When I enteres my Gmail adress to register the phone again, evrything went back. It is saved "in the cloud", it seems.
"My downloads" is a pain in the ... with all the apps you ever installed, even if you uninstalled them afterwards. And: there is no difference between installed apps that can be updated and uninstalled apps. I get crazy with 5 sorts of torch apps, I had installed. I decided to keep only one and when I browse the market to see, which updates are available, I don't remember, which one is still installed an which are uninstalled. Both say "free", when the is an update for the installed one.
It would be nice to be able to sort the apps not only after their name but after their status "installed", "updated" and "uninstalled".
That is my interpretation of the problem too. I have factory reset and it has not removed them. Beyond this some people *still* think they making the cache get so low it resets itself will do it though... I cannot see *how* if it is stored server side (Sufficiently that a "Factory" reset does not remove it [Hell, I should hope after a "Factory" reset there is NO personal info on the device... Certainly wasn't when I got mine new!)... None the less if people think it may work I've nothing to loose.
Shame is I've got all the apps above and (In any other situation good news) other apps are so small it'll take forever to install a sufficient number.
It seems in doing this I've probably made the matter worse as now my "My Downloads" list is huge :/
Any ideas how to clear the list OR very large apps appreciated.
Cheers.
LavaChild0809 said:
[Hell, I should hope after a "Factory" reset there is NO personal info on the device... Certainly wasn't when I got mine new!)...
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Click to collapse
don't think so. All the information is tied to your google-account.
I guess if you register your account on another new device, you would have all the information on the new device. That'S the philosophy of android... have everything in the cloud... contacts, mails, calendar, app list.
On one hand it's good if you loose the device or have to factory reset. I still remember the time I was on Nokia and I had to restore my data after every change of phone or even Software update. On the other hand it's kind of critical in sense of misuse of personal data and ... the my downloads problem.
Admin: maybe the thread should be moved to this one???
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=468590
Please no not merge. I am the OP of both - The other is mainly about market issues. This is simply about large file size apps so that I can mess around and see if they do help with the issue in the other thread.
Both serve a different purpose even if there is overlap.
Meanwhile, I know for sure that the device doesn't carry the "My Downloads" over to another device - I had two faulty G1s before (1x screen issue and 1x charging issue). Both times I installed things and each device was not aware of what the other had. All, though, were aware of what they had installed on that device, even through a factory reset. I think maybe it is in the cloud but against some kind of device_id+gmail_account key? Not sure...

WaveSecure Serious Vulnerability!!

I'm using Modaco latest r8 rom with froyo 2.2. I noticed 2 things:
1. wave secure will not download my account data automatically when I factory reset. I need to register again which make it vulnerable. >> Anyone can disable wave secure
2. I don't even need to factory reset and I can reset wave secure by clearing the data in settings!!!!
I have tried in original HTC ROM 2.09(rooted) and flash in /system/app. same situation.
And I've tried that if wavesecure hasn't been register, you can't lock it from wavesecure.com or sms
I don't know if this is due to the nature of froyo or it's been like this since 2.1
wave secure is practically useless right now on my phone!!
Anyone can confirm this?
called them and they said they disabled the function for temp as they are working on some fix, it will be up again in 3 weeks as what they said
Yep, saw this on MoDaCo. Will not be renewing my WaveSecure subscription.
Lets be honest, it was a waste of money to begin with right.
This whole thing makes me wonder...can an Android phone REALLY be protected by these kind of softwares? Even assuming there are no security issues with the app..I mean,a lot of Android phones are rooted by their owners and all are rootable (?) without booting into the OS, so even if said apps are installed as system apps (just like wavesecure can be) what's preventing a "smart/geek" thief from pulling the battery, changing the simcard,(rooting a non-rooted phone), booting into recovery, mounting system and wreaking havoc through adb, including removing the security app?? Am i going on a wild goose chase or is all this sound??
MacCarron said:
This whole thing makes me wonder...can an Android phone REALLY be protected by these kind of softwares? Even assuming there are no security issues with the app..I mean,a lot of Android phones are rooted by their owners and all are rootable (?) without booting into the OS, so even if said apps are installed as system apps (just like wavesecure can be) what's preventing a "smart/geek" thief from pulling the battery, changing the simcard,(rooting a non-rooted phone), booting into recovery, mounting system and wreaking havoc through adb, including removing the security app?? Am i going on a wild goose chase or is all this sound??
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Yeah, but I don't think the average mugger/thief is that smart
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
So can I cancel my current subscription then and get a refund?
If you install wavesecure to /system/app and make sure its only there and not in /data/app as well then you should not have this problem.
Also wavesecure have gone through a rough month, got brought by Mcafee who in turn just got brought by Intel. They need to adjust to the new owners. They are (were) only a small company and lets face it their app is the best around by a long long way.
If you have any problems or suggestions on how to improve they usually listen (it was one of TeamVillain and a xda mod who suggested they make a update.zip for /system/app and a number of other improvements and they did it straight away).
Don't just say "oh no its not working" no app can protect your phone from the right people, if someone who knows all about rooting etc gets your phone then your screwed anwyay. But the average joe thug who steals your phone will get it, put in a new sim the alarm will go crazy then they panic, drop the phone and run. You can then use the tracker to find it, or give details to police.
Just put the apk in your rom next time before you flash in system/app and flash the rom. Restore data from a backup (but not the app) and you still get your market link too.
Lennyuk said:
If you install wavesecure to /system/app and make sure its only there and not in /data/app as well then you should not have this problem.
Also wavesecure have gone through a rough month, got brought by Mcafee who in turn just got brought by Intel. They need to adjust to the new owners. They are (were) only a small company and lets face it their app is the best around by a long long way.
If you have any problems or suggestions on how to improve they usually listen (it was one of TeamVillain and a xda mod who suggested they make a update.zip for /system/app and a number of other improvements and they did it straight away).
Don't just say "oh no its not working" no app can protect your phone from the right people, if someone who knows all about rooting etc gets your phone then your screwed anwyay. But the average joe thug who steals your phone will get it, put in a new sim the alarm will go crazy then they panic, drop the phone and run. You can then use the tracker to find it, or give details to police.
Just put the apk in your rom next time before you flash in system/app and flash the rom. Restore data from a backup (but not the app) and you still get your market link too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While i agree with you that a witch hunt isn't the proper response and that it is unlikely that the average thief will know his way around adb, i have personally tried to remove wavesecure from /system/app...it works...i did it without breaking a sweat. I intentionally triggered the lock by attempting to uninstall the uninstall-protection, pulled off the battery, booted in recovery and got rid of wavese cure with a single command. Reboot and presto! A free phone . So it is true that there is no full-proof way to be safeguarded, at least using this software, and in my humble opinion the guys over at wavesecure should clearly state so on their website. And they don't always listen..there is a long story of noisy silences concerning op's issue...omissions, censorship etc etc. I got a free lifetime subscription so i'm not particularly yelling at anyone, just making hypothetis, but wouldn't you be quite pissed off if someone stole your phone and rendered it's security software (for which you payed) impotent just because he knew "SU"?
MacCarron said:
While i agree with you that a witch hunt isn't the proper response and that it is unlikely that the average thief will know his way around adb, i have personally tried to remove wavesecure from /system/app...it works...i did it without breaking a sweat. I intentionally triggered the lock by attempting to uninstall the uninstall-protection, pulled off the battery, booted in recovery and got rid of wavese cure with a single command. Reboot and presto! A free phone . So it is true that there is no full-proof way to be safeguarded, at least using this software, and in my humble opinion the guys over at wavesecure should clearly state so on their website. And they don't always listen..there is a long story of noisy silences concerning op's issue...omissions, censorship etc etc. I got a free lifetime subscription so i'm not particularly yelling at anyone, just making hypothetis, but wouldn't you be quite pissed off if someone stole your phone and rendered it's security software (for which you payed) impotent just because he knew "SU"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is though, if they knew SU and other commands chances are they will get around any protection whatever it would be.
But Wavesecure offers you a way to track the phone, you can still contact your carrier and get them to IMEI blacklist it, then track the handset down via wavesecure.
hi - just check out secrep5265.blogspot.com - thats interesting information concerning your discussion.

Marshmallow automagic app data backup to Google account

So I understand this is a new feature in marsmallow, right? Your app data within reason being backed up into your google account.
I'm wondering if any of you has actually tried recovering from it and could share their experience? I'm considering whether to root the 6P to install Xposed, and obviously unlocking the bootloader will wipe everything out and to be fair life is too short to spend configuring all my apps again the way I like them.
Not all apps get backed up. Comes down to the developer allowing whatever api's are necessary. For me the biggest pain is having to set up phillips hue stuff every time. I'm still unrooted at least for now. good news is that if you do root, titanium backup will be there for you in the future.
As @y2whisper said, it is on an app by app basis. Details here: http://www.droid-life.com/2015/06/0...-of-apps-to-google-drive-plus-auto-restoring/
I had to RMA my first N6P. I was impressed with how many of my settings were restored. I assumed that most of my apps would not support it already, and was pleasantly surprised. It was everything, of course, but it was a good portion, and went smoothly.
Thank you guys.
fury683 said:
As @y2whisper said, it is on an app by app basis. Details here: http://www.droid-life.com/2015/06/0...-of-apps-to-google-drive-plus-auto-restoring/
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Click to collapse
That article actually says otherwise:
According to Google, app data and setting preferences in those apps will be automatically backed up to Google Drive in Android M. On a user side, this option can be toggled on or off at the system level, but on the developer side, developers simply need to decide if they want to limit what data is backed up. That’s it. Otherwise, Google is automatically backing up app user data and setting preferences to Google Drive, then encrypting it all.
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Instead of rooting...?

If I recall correctly, the Priv's OS has some application that checks the integrity of the OS, thus prevents rooting.
And can't we simply flash a new ROM which would be just a clean Android? Maybe unlocking the bootloader would be easier than cat-and-mouse play with the real BB Android.
no it does not exist and the drivers for some hw on the device to work like izat and keyboard won't work, also the priv kernel is also secure along with bootloader so if i see a custom or AOSP rom for this device i will be like on twilight zone
There have been lost opportunities here and there but BlackBerry has been active on patching all security holes and that is why is important to the company that a root has to be impossible or this effort has been all for nothing and they became the newest "Blackphone" (now that rooting was unfortunate for a device sold as a "secure" phone).
I know that there are audience in Android just for root capacity but not everybody are in a "real" need for it.
I like that the BlackBerry Launcher leave most of AOSP element, except for icons and notifications sounds.
Personally I only ever use root for CPU control and ability to delete ANY app I deem fit, and on my previous SGS5 that meant all those heart rate and other nonsense apps that ran in background and chunked the battery to no end.
Gonna assume the Priv then has no CPU management ability due to the lack of root, correct?
Skv012a said:
Personally I only ever use root for CPU control and ability to delete ANY app I deem fit, and on my previous SGS5 that meant all those heart rate and other nonsense apps that ran in background and chunked the battery to no end.
Gonna assume the Priv then has no CPU management ability due to the lack of root, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Though, they do use the interactive governor, and while I would kind of like to underclock the CPU a bit to deal with overheating, the default CPU management isn't too shabby. And since the Priv is almost completely stock, removal of unwanted apps is minimal, and all the carrier apps I had weren't system apps, so I was able to actually uninstall them, and what BB apps I didn't care for, I simply disabled. Learning that life without root isn't so bad on the Priv.
I just want root for Adblock for both YouTube and Chrome. I don't care if it's just a temp, as long as it lets me update the Filters for AdAway I am alright with it, I'll deal with the youtube ads.
KOAO said:
I just want root for Adblock for both YouTube and Chrome. I don't care if it's just a temp, as long as it lets me update the Filters for AdAway I am alright with it, I'll deal with the youtube ads.
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Click to collapse
Well, you could use Firefox. It supports extensions on Android, and ublock works nicely to kill ads, though I find functionally that Chrome runs infinitely better on Android than Firefox does, so your kilometerage may vary.
Artemis-kun said:
And since the Priv is almost completely stock, removal of unwanted apps is minimal
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Not true! The Priv is full of bloatware that you can only deactivate but not uninstall (Yahoo Finances, for example). And some of those apps will stay active and make the phone unusable despite being 'deactivated'. Like BB Hub. I deactivated it from the start and just recently saw that it still had several permissions (location, contacts, messages, calendar etc). So I revoked those permissions. Now it constantly pops up and wants permissions. I can't even add a contact without granting these permissions. Annoying as hell. It's ridiculous that BB regard themselves as a secure company with secure smartphones (which was rebutted several years ago) that emphasize on privacy but when it comes to their own apps, it can't get any more privacy invading. I so hate BB!
So I'm waiting for
a) another producer to make an Android phone with a hardware keyboard or
b) someone to make root for the Priv happen so that I can install a ROM of my choice.
Shani Ace said:
Not true! The Priv is full of bloatware that you can only deactivate but not uninstall (Yahoo Finances, for example). And some of those apps will stay active and make the phone unusable despite being 'deactivated'. Like BB Hub. I deactivated it from the start and just recently saw that it still had several permissions (location, contacts, messages, calendar etc). So I revoked those permissions. Now it constantly pops up and wants permissions. I can't even add a contact without granting these permissions. Annoying as hell. It's ridiculous that BB regard themselves as a secure company with secure smartphones (which was rebutted several years ago) that emphasize on privacy but when it comes to their own apps, it can't get any more privacy invading. I so hate BB!
So I'm waiting for
a) another producer to make an Android phone with a hardware keyboard or
b) someone to make root for the Priv happen so that I can install a ROM of my choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't call it full of bloat. Full of bloat is what Samsung has on offer. Yes, there are some bloatware apps that you can't uninstall, but they disable just fine. Sounds to me like your hub got re-enabled, mine has been disabled since day one, and still has no permissions, and doesn't harass me about anything.
Artemis-kun said:
Sounds to me like your hub got re-enabled, mine has been disabled since day one, and still has no permissions, and doesn't harass me about anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Did you do any of the BB OTA updates (mine's running the most recent version, 6.0.1, security patch from August 5th)?
The Hub is still deactivated, but it doesn't seem to 'care' about that. I activated and deactivated it again to no effect.
So you're telling me when you go into Settings -> Apps -> BB Hub -> Permissions, all six permissions (calendar, camera, contacts, storage, phone and BB Productivity Suite) are turned-off?
I'm pretty sure I had these turned off when I got the phone in May. So maybe some of the OTA updates changed something about it. Unless you're running the same version that I am.
Oh and the fullscreen pop-up says Blackberry Hub+, maybe this is a new thing then?
And yes, other manufacturers may have more Bloatware. But at least there you can uninstall them or flash a different ROM. And all the BB services like BB Hub count as Bloatware for me, too.
Maybe I should sell my Priv and get a S6 Edge Plus (again). I still got the keyboard cover for that model and it's flashable, although Samsung also makes it hard for the users. But the keyboard cover is not back-lit and the phone is even bigger than the Priv (already too big for my taste).
EDIT: Ah wait! I just saw that the 'Blackberry Services' were activate, so I deactivated it and revoked all its permissions and now the pop up is gone. I definitely had this deactivated before the update, but as with the other BB apps, you have to deactivate them again after each update. Guess I just overlooked this one. Yay!
Shani Ace said:
Interesting. Did you do any of the BB OTA updates (mine's running the most recent version, 6.0.1, security patch from August 5th)?
The Hub is still deactivated, but it doesn't seem to 'care' about that. I activated and deactivated it again to no effect.
So you're telling me when you go into Settings -> Apps -> BB Hub -> Permissions, all six permissions (calendar, camera, contacts, storage, phone and BB Productivity Suite) are turned-off?
I'm pretty sure I had these turned off when I got the phone in May. So maybe some of the OTA updates changed something about it. Unless you're running the same version that I am.
Oh and the fullscreen pop-up says Blackberry Hub+, maybe this is a new thing then?
And yes, other manufacturers may have more Bloatware. But at least there you can uninstall them or flash a different ROM. And all the BB services like BB Hub count as Bloatware for me, too.
Maybe I should sell my Priv and get a S6 Edge Plus (again). I still got the keyboard cover for that model and it's flashable, although Samsung also makes it hard for the users. But the keyboard cover is not back-lit and the phone is even bigger than the Priv (already too big for my taste).
EDIT: Ah wait! I just saw that the 'Blackberry Services' were activate, so I deactivated it and revoked all its permissions and now the pop up is gone. I definitely had this deactivated before the update, but as with the other BB apps, you have to deactivate them again after each update. Guess I just overlooked this one. Yay!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://puu.sh/qYFcI/bca42bb0e9.png here is a screenshot I just took. I should also point out that I have everything else BB disabled as well, and I've never had to re-disable any of them. I'm on the MM beta program, so that might also make some kind of diffeerence, but I stay up to date with patches, and haven't had to disable anything again. Not sure how it happened in your case, but glad that you got it sorted.
Another thing I do feel I need to bring up, this is also a BB phone made for BB people, so it does make sense that they include the software suite that their fans have grown to love. Sure, those of us who couldn't care less about BB's software, and just wanted in on their amazing hardware prowess, will find these apps bothersome, but if nothing else, visually they left Android alone, and for that, I can't not happily thank them. They could have given us something like a BB10 inspired touchwiz, could you imagine? Lol.
Yeah that's true and I'm also happy that they didn't over-customize their ROM. It's just hard to accept any deviation when you've been used to having full freedom on all kinds of custom ROMs for the last ten years.
Strange though that you didn't have to re-deactivate the apps after the updates. Then I guess I'll look into the beta program (had seen it before but didn't mind).
and I do not have 'Secure Start-up' turned-on.
There's enough bloatware that I'd like to remove, such as "Hang-Outs" & BBM is eating data with stupid pics of available 'stickies' & other crap I don't want to see/read about & my ONLY choice for disable is "Do you want to restore this app to Factory Default?". No, I don't I want to Restore it to Factory Default - I want to DISABLE it. I do understand that the PRIV's supposed to be secure & yes that's a Good Thing. I also understand that most users LIKE to be kept informed. I am NOT 'social' - Let ME decide what I want to be informed about & when. I didn't even get a choice of what subscription (?) I wanted (which is NONE). There's a bunch of apps that I can only Restore to Factory default. That, too me, means I CANNOT Remove or Disable them. I call that bloatware. Un-wanted bloatware. If I could remove them without Rooting, then I would not be looking to do so! I have an 'Essential Tremour' & I NEED a physical keyboard or I'd look elsewhere.
OK: I managed to get BBM to stop shouting at me (as noted: I make mistakes, but I do learn from them); it's just down to wanting to get rid of apps I don't want taking-up space. Rooting a PRIV appears to be dicey, with no firm info from Oct/2016, onwards, regarding 'safe' rooting of my device. I'm running 6.0.1 & Bell is my provider. If it makes any difference, I do not have 'Secure Start-Up' turned-on. As noted, if I didn't need a physical keyboard, I probably would not have chosen this make/model. Guess I'll live with it & keep looking for ways to put my phone on diet (& the battery barely lasts a day, unfortunately). I basically use it as a PDA - no games, few calls, occasional checking notes & calendar - it should last longer.
Bootstrap69 said:
There's enough bloatware that I'd like to remove, such as "Hang-Outs" & BBM is eating data with stupid pics of available 'stickies' & other crap I don't want to see/read about & my ONLY choice for disable is "Do you want to restore this app to Factory Default?". No, I don't I want to Restore it to Factory Default - I want to DISABLE it. I do understand that the PRIV's supposed to be secure & yes that's a Good Thing. I also understand that most users LIKE to be kept informed. I am NOT 'social' - Let ME decide what I want to be informed about & when. I didn't even get a choice of what subscription (?) I wanted (which is NONE). There's a bunch of apps that I can only Restore to Factory default. That, too me, means I CANNOT Remove or Disable them. I call that bloatware. Un-wanted bloatware. If I could remove them without Rooting, then I would not be looking to do so! I have an 'Essential Tremour' & I NEED a physical keyboard or I'd look elsewhere.
OK: I managed to get BBM to stop shouting at me (as noted: I make mistakes, but I do learn from them); it's just down to wanting to get rid of apps I don't want taking-up space. Rooting a PRIV appears to be dicey, with no firm info from Oct/2016, onwards, regarding 'safe' rooting of my device. I'm running 6.0.1 & Bell is my provider. If it makes any difference, I do not have 'Secure Start-Up' turned-on. As noted, if I didn't need a physical keyboard, I probably would not have chosen this make/model. Guess I'll live with it & keep looking for ways to put my phone on diet (& the battery barely lasts a day, unfortunately). I basically use it as a PDA - no games, few calls, occasional checking notes & calendar - it should last longer.
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In order to disable some of the apps on this device they must be restored to factory default. I have hangouts and BBM disabled. My battery life is pretty good. You have to figure out what's killing yours. Do you use a case that has the preview window on the front?
On non rootable devices I use AdGuard to have a firewall and adblocker. It works by routing everything through a local vpn server. Great concept and working fine for me.

Securing Moto G4 for my son.

I just purchased the Amazon Moto G4 edition for my son who is 8yrs old, and I understand he's a little young for a phone. However, a few of his buddies have phones and I thought it was a great way to help him read and type better through texting. I'm also not planning on paying for Cell service but rather use Wifi for SMS and Calls through hangout. And maybe get him freedom pop for in an emergency.
Now, with that said I created a gmail account that I control (my password, my recovery email/phone #, etc.) and then used this to setup the Play store. I set up all the restrictions in the play store to what I believe is appropriate and of course I locked it by setting up my own PIN code so he couldn't change them.
I also setup his own google voice number and tied it to google hangouts/dialer but I can also monitor what he is doing on my phone periodically if I wanted. I'm not interested in him using Snapchat, WhatsApp, or any other kind of social network.
I've also setup OpenDNS on the wifi account he uses at home. So I think I have things pretty much locked down with the exception of installing from Unknown sources. And although he probably isn't computer savvy enough yet, at some point he will be.
So, with that said is there anyway I can build a rom that disables installing from Unknown Sources? Also, any other recommendations and tips from others are welcome.
Thanks.
He can get rid of everything you did if he could factory reset
seth.dean02 said:
He can get rid of everything you did if he could factory reset
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Of course he could, but he's 8! He's probably not savvy enough to circumvent my efforts yet and when he is I'll change my approach.
pabdaddy1995 said:
Of course he could, but he's 8! He's probably not savvy enough to circumvent my efforts yet and when he is I'll change my approach.
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Try one of the apps that allows you to lock apps. One is Applock and you may be able to lock down settings. That would prevent him from changing anything. You've probably thought of it already but some type of tracking app is a necessary safety measure for a child's phone. LOL, when he becomes a teenager you'll need the tracking for many more reasons.

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